Looking for advice on what ignition system to use. got to start working on the engine and need to install a new ignition. have a Boyer in my 67 T-Bolt and it has behaved well, but was thinking on using a pazon, or something else on this bike. anybody have any recommendations on whats best. thanks

Being the natural born pessimist that I am, I'd vote for the Boyer. That way you have 2 bikes to swap parts with when the inevitable questions come up.....Is it fuel? Ignition? Timing? The Coils? Have you ever been there?

Being the natural born pessimist that I am, I'd vote for the Boyer. That way you have 2 bikes to swap parts with when the inevitable questions come up.....Is it fuel? Ignition? Timing? The Coils? Have you ever been there?

That is one of the reasons I bought and still use the Gunsons color tunes.

That is one of the reasons I bought and still use the Gunsons color tunes.

i've had one of those for something like 30 years. love it.

i always use it setting up the idle jetting on a bike.

"Are bikes so nice as all that?" asked the mole, shyly...

"Nice? They're the only thing," said the Water Rat Solemnly, as he leaned forward on the handlebars. "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about with bikes."

I have one. When I used it to set up my Spitfire, I found that if I set it up for the right color at idle, it would balk coming off idle. If I set it up a bit richer, no more hesitation. Mine has the GP's. Don'y know if that makes a difference.

that's the advantage-- you have another source of information about what your bike likes, rather than just listening with your ear.

there's nothing magic about a textbook mixture setting. what is important is that a tool like that lets you measure what the motor works best with, and then you can go back to it easily.

i have an AEM air-fuel gauge and a UEGO oxygen sensor that i use on my machines sometimes. instead of the textbook 12.5 A/F ratio, one of my machines likes 11.5. so i use the tool to set the mixture at precisely what the bike likes, rather than what the books say.

"Are bikes so nice as all that?" asked the mole, shyly...

"Nice? They're the only thing," said the Water Rat Solemnly, as he leaned forward on the handlebars. "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about with bikes."

I currently have three bikes fitted with electronic ignition as follows:-- the B44 has Boyer analouge mk4 - the A65 has a Pazon Surefire with a dual coil- the Norton Commando also has a Pazon Surefire with twin 6v coils

I have previously used Boyer systems on BSA B40's and B25 bikes without issue.

All of these EI systems perform well and to be honest there doesnt seem to be much difference between them other than price. I do like the dual coil fitted to the A65 as it simplifies the wiring and I believe it can be used with either Boyer or Pazon systems.

Probably whats more important is to ensure the alternator and charging system are in good condition as well as the ignition circuit before installation. Earlier versions of Boyer allegedly suffered with starting problems if the battery voltage was less than 12v, but I believe the latest version has fixed this issue.

Additionally you have to understand and follow the installation instructions very carefully as it's all too easy to make a mistake.

There are a couple of other EI systems to consider such as the Wassell which apparantly is well made and from the Czech Republic and also the Sparx unit. I have no experience of these units so cannot comment on their performance.

Boyer. That way you have 2 bikes to swap parts with when the inevitable questions come up.....Is it fuel? Ignition? Timing? The Coils? Have you ever been there?

+1. I've had two T160's with Lucas Rita since the early 1980's. Very useful for testing/substitution.

Also, far be it for me to do Pazon and Tri-Spark out of business but another possible consideration is, if anything goes wrong that you can't fix, Pazon and Tri-Spark are on the bottom half of the world, you're on the top half and John Healy/Coventry Spares is also on the top half, in Massachusetts, John being allowed by Bransden to test and replace under warranty.

Otoh, both Pazon and Tri-Spark have useful built-in features that B-B doesn't have.

By the way, is there a particular reason you want to go to electronic ignition? I have a Tri-Spark on my Trident and I love it because 3 sets of points is a pain. But personally, I like points on singles and twins. Once you have them set up, I find they stay in tune pretty nicely if you put a little lube on the points cam and the advance unit. They are much more forgiving of things like poor connections and low batteries. Finally, the primitive advance unit gives a much more visceral thrill when it springs open. I replaced the points plate and advance unit on my '66 Spitfire with one from a late model Norton. Same CCW rotation and more adjustability.

Ed, when I had the Spitfire engine rebuilt, I told the builder I was going to put electronic ignition in it so when I got the engine back, had no points plate or advance unit installed, so looks like its easier to put the electronic ign in it. guy from Jersey did the engine, any guess who it was? has a Brit shop there

If it was me, I would give them a call and tell them they didn't return your ignition bits, understandably, but you have had a change of heart and would they either return them or let you trade them for late model Norton points and AAU. By the way, used Lucas points from the '60s and '70s are, in my experience, better than new Japanese or Taiwanese replacements. Main problem seems to be the plastic heel on the points that rubs on the AAU cam wears much faster than the old Lucas ones.